Various forms and formats of electronic data storage are known in the art. Most such forms currently in use are configured to receive electronic data from an outside source, preserve the electronic data for a time, and output the electronic data on command. Over the development of such electronic storage techniques, storage capacity and reliability has tended to steadily increase while cost has decreased.
However, while cost, reliability and capacity have improved over time for most formats, various formats continue to provide benefits over other formats while suffering various detriments. For instance, while volatile memory technologies, such as random access memory, or “RAM”, is relatively fast and inexpensive, the random access memory module must remain powered on in order to preserve the electronic data stored therein. This makes random access memory relatively expensive to operate and unreliable in the event of power disruptions. Consequently, random access memory technology, such as static random access memory, is typically utilized only for short-term storage to facilitate the rapid transfer of data for near-term use by electronic components.
Non-volatile memory such as flash memory, by contrast, may preserve electronic data stored therein for extended periods of time without a need to maintain power to the flash memory module. However, flash memory typically requires a relatively complex interface.